كُفّيcease وَغاكِyour clamour فَإِنَّنيfor I لَكِtoward you قاليone who loathes
كُفّي وَغاكِ فَإِنَّني لَكِ قالي
لَيسَتare not هَواديthe leading ranks عَزمَتيmy resolve بِتَواليrear ranks
لَيسَت هَوادي عَزمَتي بِتَوالي
Cease your warfare—for I am hostile to you;
Cease your clamour, for I detest you.
the vanguard of my resolve is not one to turn tail.
The vanguard of my resolve is no rearguard.
أَناI ذوthe one whom عَرَفتِyou have known فإِنso if عَرَتكِhas overtaken you جَهالَةٌignorance
أَنا ذو عَرَفتِ فإِن عَرَتكِ جَهالَةٌ
فَأَناthen I المُقيمُthe one who brings about قِيامَةَJudgment Day العُذّالِthe reproachers
فَأَنا المُقيمُ قِيامَةَ العُذّالِ
I am the man you have known; if, in folly, you test me,
I am the man you have known; if ignorance has overtaken you,
then I am the one who raises Judgment Day among the reproachers.
then I am the one who brings Judgment Day upon the reproachers.
عَطَفَتshe turned مَلامَتَهاher reproach عَلىupon اِبنِa son of مُلِمَّةٍcalamity
عَطَفَت مَلامَتَها عَلى اِبنِ مُلِمَّةٍ
كَالسَيفِlike a sword جَأبِstout in الصَبرِpatience شَختِslender in الآلِframe
كَالسَيفِ جَأبِ الصَبرِ شَختِ الآلِ
Her censure turned upon a man bred by calamity,
She turned her reproach upon a son of calamity,
swordlike—stout in endurance, spare of frame.
swordlike, stout in patience, slender in frame.
عادَتbecame لَهُfor him أَيّامُهُhis days مُسوَدَّةًblackened
عادَت لَهُ أَيّامُهُ مُسوَدَّةً
حَتّىuntil تَوَهَّمَhe imagined أَنَّهُنَّthat they لَياليnights
حَتّى تَوَهَّمَ أَنَّهُنَّ لَيالي
His days returned to him blackened,
His days turned black for him,
until he took them for nights.
until he imagined them to be nights.
لاdo not تُنكِريfind strange عَطَلَlack الكَريمِthe noble man مِنَof الغِنىwealth
لا تُنكِري عَطَلَ الكَريمِ مِنَ الغِنى
فَالسَيلُfor the torrent حَربٌan enemy لِلمَكانِto the place العاليhigh
فَالسَيلُ حَربٌ لِلمَكانِ العالي
Do not marvel that the generous man stands bare of riches:
Do not marvel at a noble man's lack of wealth;
the torrent is ever the high ground’s foe.
for the torrent is an enemy to high ground.
وَتَنَظَّريand await خَبَبَthe trotting الرِكابِthe riding camels يَنُصُّهاhe drives them hard
وَتَنَظَّري خَبَبَ الرِكابِ يَنُصُّها
مُحييthe reviver of القَريضِverse إِلىtoward مُميتِthe slayer of المالِwealth
مُحيي القَريضِ إِلى مُميتِ المالِ
And watch the mounts’ swift trot, urged to full speed
And await the trotting camels, driven hard
by the reviver of verse, toward the slayer of wealth.
by the reviver of verse toward the slayer of wealth.
لَمّاwhen بَلَغناwe reached ساحَةَthe courtyard of الحَسَنِal-Hasan اِنقَضىended
لَمّا بَلَغنا ساحَةَ الحَسَنِ اِنقَضى
عَنّاfrom us تَعَجرُفُthe arrogance of دَولَةِthe reign of الإِمحالِdrought
عَنّا تَعَجرُفُ دَولَةِ الإِمحالِ
When we reached al-Hasan’s court, there passed from us
When we reached al-Hasan's courtyard, there ended
the stubborn, knotted reign of destitution.
for us the arrogance of drought's reign.
بَسَطَhe spread الرَجاءَhope لَناfor us بِرَغمِdespite نَوائِبٍcalamities
بَسَطَ الرَجاءَ لَنا بِرَغمِ نَوائِبٍ
كَثُرَتgrew numerous بِهِنَّthrough them مَصارِعُthe downfalls of الآمالِhopes
كَثُرَت بِهِنَّ مَصارِعُ الآمالِ
Hope opened wide before us, defying calamities
He spread hope before us despite calamities
through which so many hopes had met their doom.
in which so many hopes had met their downfall.
أَغلىhe made dear عَذارىthe maidens of الشِعرِverse إِنَّindeed مُهورَهاtheir dowers
أَغلى عَذارى الشِعرِ إِنَّ مُهورَها
عِندَwith الكَريمِthe generous man وَإِنand even if رَخُصنَthey were cheap غَواليcostly
عِندَ الكَريمِ وَإِن رَخُصنَ غَوالي
He made poetry’s virgin brides costly: indeed, their dowries
He made the maidens of verse dear; indeed, their dowers
with the generous man, though the brides be cheap, are dear.
with a generous man are costly, even if the maidens are cheap.
تَرِدُarrive الظُنونُexpectations بِهِthrough him عَلىat تَصديقِهاtheir confirmation
تَرِدُ الظُنونُ بِهِ عَلى تَصديقِها
وَيُحَكِّمُand he makes arbiters of الآمالَhopes فيover الأَموالِwealth
وَيُحَكِّمُ الآمالَ في الأَموالِ
Every expectation of him comes back confirmed,
Through him, expectations reach their fulfillment,
and he makes hopes the arbiters of wealth.
and he makes hopes the arbiters of wealth.
أَضحىhas become سَمِيُّthe namesake of أَبيكَyour father فيكَin you مُصَدَّقاًproved truthful
أَضحى سَمِيُّ أَبيكَ فيكَ مُصَدَّقاً
بِأَجَلِّby the noblest فائِدَةٍboon وَأَيمَنِand most auspicious قالِsaying
بِأَجَلِّ فائِدَةٍ وَأَيمَنِ قالِ
Your father’s namesake has, in you, proved true,
Your father's namesake has been vindicated in you,
through the noblest benefit and most auspicious omen.
by the noblest boon and the most auspicious saying.
وَرَأَيتَنيand you saw me فَسَأَلتَthen you asked نَفسَكَyour soul سَيبَهاits bounty
وَرَأَيتَني فَسَأَلتَ نَفسَكَ سَيبَها
ليfor me ثُمَّthen جُدتَyou gave generously وَماand not اِنتَظَرتَyou awaited سُؤاليmy request
لي ثُمَّ جُدتَ وَما اِنتَظَرتَ سُؤالي
You saw me and asked your own soul for its largesse
And you saw me, then asked your own soul for its bounty
on my behalf; then you gave, never waiting for my plea.
for me; then you gave, without awaiting my request.
كَالغَيثِlike rain لَيسَthere is no لَهُfor it أُريدَwas wanted غَمامُهُits clouds
كَالغَيثِ لَيسَ لَهُ أُريدَ غَمامُهُ
أَوor لَمnot يُرَدbe wanted بُدٌّescape مِنَfrom التَهطالِpouring down
أَو لَم يُرَد بُدٌّ مِنَ التَهطالِ
Like rain: whether its cloud is desired
Like rain, it cannot—whether its clouds are wanted
or not, it has no choice but to pour.
or not—escape pouring down.
Sol 6.1